Training Focus

[tizey]

I am having issues trying to teach our JRT (Parker) to focus.

I've enrolled in obedience school, which starts on sunday (he doesnt attend the first session though).

What I was told to do at home before coming along, was to teach him to pay attention (focus) to me, and they gave me an exercise to do it which involves calling the dogs name, touching him on the nose with a small piece of treat and saying his cue word when lifting the treat up to your chin so he looks at you, then rewarding, and 'releasing'.

After a while we're meant to extend how long before he gets the treat, and alternate treats here and there.

The problem is, I've been doing it for nearly a week, and we're still at square one - and I just don't think he gets the idea of the exercise - after 3 or 4 times of touching him on the nose with a treat, he will just look at me without having to say his cue word. Then next time we go to practice, he won't realise whats going on at first, then once he realises treats are involved, he'll just look at me.

Also, with the exercise requiring me to 'release' him, he doesn't know that yet. But the exercise for 'release' requires me to get him under control with the attention cue, which i'm having trouble with. What should he learn first?

What am I doing wrong? What should I/shouldn't I be doing?

[cavNrott]

.

Edited May 19, 2009 by cavNrott

[dogdude]

Hi tizey

I think that perhaps you should be looking at the dogs height being a problem! Focus on the handlers eyes are designed for mainly medium to large dogs. If a JRT was to heel along in the correct position while looking in your eyes, I feel his head would have to be at an angle beyond 90 degree's, or he would be heeling wide.

Focus with small dogs needs to be directed lower, ie; waist or knee.

Perhaps someone who has recently taught focus to a small dog may want to expand on this and share their experience? Lab & Poodle?

[wheres my rock]

i taught my sheltie eye contact by sitting in a chair with treats in each hand holding the hands away to the side then making sounds when the dog looked at my face i click treated for that and slowly built up duration

at first we just gt a glimpse now he can hold eye contact for ages.

[shoemonster]

Where's my rock has a small sheltie and he gives great focus

Just stick with it, he will get there

You don't necessarily have to use the treat to get his attention, you can just stand in front of him and wait (on lead)

Eventually he will look up at you to see what the hell you are doing, then very quickly you say "yes" or click if you have a clicker, and always treat after the "yes/click"

Edited to say I posted that as you posted Stella

Edited September 25, 2006 by shoemonster

[wheres my rock]

stalker

if i get a chnace i'll video my new foxi terrier pup learning focus this afternoon and show you how we do it ok

[shoemonster]

I've been learning from my stalkers!!!

[wheres my rock]

tizey

what area are you in

[shoemonster]

I just realised your dog is stumpy butt!!!!

[tizey]

wheres my rock, I'll work with what you've said, it seems you've had quite some success with it for a smaller dog.

I'm in Geelong, so we're starting at geelong obedience dog club at belmont common.

[wheres my rock]

is not hes a fluffy bum gee girl get it right yours is a fanny fat bottom

Ohh Geelong i remember years ago entering a trial there and they got floded right to the roof of the lub rooms around two weeks before.

Nice grounds good to see they are teaching focus first up yup give it a try if you send me your email addy i can send you an srticle on teaching focus and hopefully will have the vid for you too

[shoemonster]

Stella, no tizey's dog is the stumpy butt dog from the other thread about focus in obedience

Connor is a fuzz butt, der!!!

Fanny fat bottom hahahaha

Edited September 25, 2006 by shoemonster

[wheres my rock]

image to big oh well

shoey connor may be afuzz butt but at least he doesnt flash me his butt whilst nicking off now does he

Edited September 25, 2006 by wheres my rock

[shoemonster]

true!!!

Here is Stella's fuzz butt giving her focus!!!

[wheres my rock]

and she scores fuzzbutt is the best hehe

[tizey]

We just had a sit down session, me on the chair, Parker in front of me, starting with the treat at my eyes, then moving away.

He would glimpse quickly at the treat, then look straight back at me, and by the end of it we were able to hold for about 5-10 seconds.

So obviously some of it has made it through - he knows to pay attention to me, even if I'm moving the treat away from my face and my other hand is out wiggling a little bit. He would occasionally give a glance (very quick) at a hand, but straight back to looking at me, where we could hold it for a few seconds... does this sounds like progress?

How often should I be doing this for him to really grasp it? I'm happy to do it as often as will be good for him, I just don't want to bore him.

--

Jeez, that must've been years ago for the club to flood - I can't remember the last time the Barwon flooded, letalone that bad.

Stumpybutt? I'm guessing thats due to showing off his date when he walks away from me?

[wheres my rock]

yup thast excellent rogress ten seconds for a newbis is very good your doing great

yes it was around fifteen years ago it was really bad they lost a lot of memborabilia etc that couldnt be replaced

[wheres my rock]

forgot to add i do three or four goes in a session usually three times a day so very short littl trianing sessions also vary the time you get focus so maybe five seconds two seconds ten seconds etc dont just kep going forward move up and down the scale so you keep your puppy guessing

[wheres my rock]

have emailed you the notes

[tizey]

Ok, so short and sharp training altering the time so to keep the little bugger guessing!

thanks for the notes, much appreciated, now to extend his focus... we've got just under 2 weeks til his first day at school!